“What is the matter with people who stipulate conditions that are not in Allah’s Book? Whoever stipulates a condition that is not in Allah’s Book, it is invalid, even if there are a hundred such conditions. Allah’s Book has greater authority, and Allah’s condition is more binding.”

Although this hadith arose over a condition assigning the right of patronage to someone other than the emancipator, the majority of scholars hold that what counts is the general wording, not the particular occasion that prompted it. Its application to this hadith is unanimously agreed upon.

Likewise, any condition that necessarily entails something prohibited by the Lawgiver is treated in the same way as the prohibited act itself. Whatever is known to be prohibited on the basis of evidence from the Sharia is treated in the same way as something known to have been explicitly prohibited. Scholars may, however, differ in their judgments as to whether a particular act falls within the category of prohibited acts. Consequently, their judgments concerning the condition in question will differ accordingly. Such differences are inevitable within the Muslim community.

This category also includes cases in which the stipulated act is not prohibited in itself, but conflicts with attaining the objective that has been commanded. Examples of such conditions include requiring the residents of a ribāt to remain there constantly. This is among the practices people have introduced that are disapproved of in the Sharia. Other examples include requiring jurists to embrace certain religious innovations contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, or certain prohibited views; or requiring the prayer leader or caller to prayer to omit some of the prescribed sunnah practices of prayer or the call to prayer, or to introduce innovations into either.

Examples include requiring the prayer leader to recite the shorter surahs of the Mufassal at the dawn prayer; requiring the call to prayer to be joined to a formula of remembrance that is not prescribed; or requiring the Eid prayer to be held in the school or mosque while the Muslims are holding it in accordance with the Sunnah of their Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.